Case Analysis

Remember…please don’t repeat the facts mentioned in the case unless you’re using them to support your analysis. Treat this as a business assignments including bullet points not as an essay. NO Sources from the outside the case

Focus of the paper……Given all the facts presented in the case, a)evaluate each of the five proposed advertisements based on the six criteria below and b) rank the concepts from 1(best) to 5 (should not produce).

It is often difficult to use communication research to predict which commercials will be successful until they’ve been fully produced. Nevertheless the manager needs to make a good decision before committing to production. Effective evaluation of the commercial at the concept or storyboard phase can be made. A systematic approach is necessary. With detailed knowledge of the brand and the consumer and with close interpretation of prior and proposed ads, managers can successfully pick ads that will likely perform best. Companies like Pepsi-Cola work hard to train managers in these skills and consider their successful system to be a competitive advantage.

Skilled managers apply a set of decision filters to evaluate brand communications. I would like you to apply the following six filters and tell me how each concept meets (or not) the criteria.

1. Makes a compelling case for the brand’s benefits?
2. Sufficiently expresses the symbolism (values sensibilities, identities) of the brand? Also, let me know the “identity” of Mountain Dew. By identity I mean what does it stand for? For example, Jeep stands for “rugged”. Mercedes for luxury. Volvo for safety. Walmart…Everyday low prices.
3. Will the target audience make sense of, and identity with, cultural references in the ad (characters, action, music, etc)?
4. Is the story engaging, simple, original?
5. Is the product integrated into the story?
6. Is it an effective extension of Mountain Dew’s ongoing creative campaign?